Naruto
by N.V.9
Summary: They were friends, the best of friends. But from five to thirty many things change. COMPLETE


**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

Five

They ran, chasing one another. Their laughter trailing after them. Only five and yet at peace with the world. Neither wanting more than eachother. Neither craving anything but the company of the other.

Even as the raven looked over his little shoulder, laughing and calling to him, Naruto knew that Sasuke would always be his. Would always be there. They would always need eachother. Even at such a young age, Naruto knew that what they had was special.

"Catch me, Naruto!"

Ten

Side by side, they stood. One hand from each clutched tightly to the other. Their eyes filled with pain as they gazed down at the box that held his Mama. He wasn't sure why she was in there. Why she had to die. But he missed her. He missed his Mama. He missed her tickling him in the morning. Kissing him at night. Most of all, he missed the way she would light up when he came into a room. Now no one would light up for him. No one would deem him important enough to stop what they were doing just to make him feel special.

The tug on his hand made him look toward his right. His best friend, eyes as red as his, smiled at him softly. His lips slightly trembling as he moved closer.

"I'm here, Naruto."

Fifteen

He stood watching from his locker. His best friend off laughing with someone else. But this wasn't shocking. Sasuke was very popular with people. Was the center of everyones attention. He made friends faster than anyone Naruto knew. And Naruto couldn't even make more then a handful.

They were still friends. They were still in eachothers lives. But not like before. Not like when they were kids. Now Sasuke would text him a few hours after Naruto texted him. He would cancel something they planned to do something with someone else. It hurt to think this, but Naruto knew he was losing his best friend. He wanted to cry, but he couldn't. He wouldn't. He told himself things would get better. That Sasuke would come back to him. That he wasn't lying to himself.

Closing his locker, he waited for Sasuke to come closer. Wished for him to stop and knew he would keep going. When their eyes met, Sasuke just called out to him.

"Later, Naruto."

Twenty

This was so hard. How anyone expected someone to get these problems at all, was beyond Naruto. Why did math have to include letters and odd looking symbols? What happened to the good old days when math was just math?

With a frustrated sigh, Naruto moved away from his desk and looked around his dorm room. It was slightly messy. The last few days filled with studying and sleeping, sleeping and studying, leaving little room to do anything else. His roommate fast asleep with his head in his text book, drool dribbing out. Yep, this was life now.

Looking toward the picture near his bed, Naruto sighed. It was of him and Sasuke on graduation. Both wearing the stupid cap and gown forced on all students leaving highschool for the last time.

In the picture both were smiling. An arm around eachother's shoulders, their diplomas in their hands held high in victory.

Just remembering the day, Naruto felt his heart ache. After that day, they had seen little of eachother. Both finishing up things to head out for college. Both spending their days hanging out with their families and friends to make up for time they wouldn't be there. One forgetting about his childhood friend, and one pretending that it didn't hurt anymore. Now both were on opposite ends of the country, going to different schools.

Was it Sasuke's fault that he moved on? That Naruto couldn't? Maybe if he tried one more time...

Maybe if he called Sasuke right now...

Reaching for the phone, Naruto dialed Sasuke's number and waited. In answer he got a tired reply.

"It's late, Naruto."

Twenty-five

It hurt. It hurt so bad to move. To breathe. God, he wanted to die. Wanted to give up. Half his body was numb and the other half in too much pain that he wished it was numb.

He wasn't sure what had happened. Just that he had been driving through town, on an errand he had almost forgotten about. He had followed all the traffic laws. Stopped when he had to. Kept the speed limit. Stayed on his side of the road. Kept his eyes on his mirrors and said road. But when he went to drive on past the last stop sign...

He heard doctors talking. Mentioning something about a teenager not paying attention. He heard them say he was losing too much blood. Heard them fading in and out. Heard something beeping wildly and then he heard nothing but silence.

The silence seemed to last forever and Naruto wanted it to disappear. He begged for something to make a noise. Begged for someone to come in and talk to him.

And maybe someone answered his prayers. Either a dream or not, Naruto felt comforted when he saw him. Even with tears running down his face, Sasuke was still beautiful. Was he there for real? Wasn't Sasuke supposed to be off on another take-over of another company? He wasn't supposed to be here, right? He wasn't supposed to be here crying as if his heart was breaking.

"Don't die, Naruto."

Thirty

He sat in the silence of his backyard just watching nothing happen. One would probably call this boring but Naruto called it peaceful. In his years of living, things like this rarely happened and when they did, he held on for as long as he could.

Sometimes he was afraid that this would leave him. That this would fade and the loneliness of before would come back. Sometimes he was afraid he'd wake up.

Because in this dream, he had his future. He had his life. He had Sasuke. His raven come to stay for good. The accident keeping his best friend turned lover from leaving him. When he woke, he thought that things would go back to before. That Sasuke would leave his life again and almost forget him. Forced to remember on holidays when their families came together. But it seemed that Sasuke had other plans.

He held on tighter, stayed closer, practically moved into Naruto's life within the days of his recovery. Naruto was no longer second in Sasuke's life, no longer last either. Finally, for the first time in years, much to Naruto's delight, he was first.

Hearing the door behind him open, Naruto turned to see his raven looking at him. To see his love watching him with a smile on his face. Holding out his hand, Sasuke never hesitated in taking it. He never hesitated in wrapping his arms around Naruto's waist and breathing in his scent, just as Naruto did to him.

Resting his chin on Sasuke's head, he smiled and closed his eyes to stop the tears at Sasuke's next words.

"I love you, Naruto."


End file.
